Relate NI is committed to offering support to those experiencing challenges around adoption and fostering. Permanency arrangements can be difficult given the many processes involved in terms of assessment and agreeing the adoption of a child by a particular family. Everyone works to ensure the best interests of the child and the wellbeing of all in this sometimes stressful experience. By enabling all involved to recognize and articulate a wide range of emotions this can be the start of learning to manage some difficult emotions, behaviours and experiences.

Becoming a parent can change your couple relationship in many ways you might not expect. We can examine how you can adapt to your new life as a family. The process can raise many issues from dealing with fertility, conflict within the family, insecurities and behavior of an adopted child to supporting a child learn about or connect with birth parents.

Relate NI’s professional Counsellors across NI can provide therapeutic space to talk about the challenges of adoption. This will allow the potential for strengthening relationships whilst acknowledging the difficulties.

Any individual, couple or family can come to Relate for help. It doesn’t matter what their size or how they are made up. Relate NI can help couples and families understand and cope better with the stresses and strains of relationships and family life and get everyone talking and listening again.